Nathalie Djurberg
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The Berlin Biennale is very enjoyable although it doesn't try too hard to be liked by everyone: not much glamour, no big names, no easy pieces that make you smile, no lovely girls handing you free (sponsor) coffee. All the venues are located on one street, Auguststraße, in Berlin’s Mitte district. I've very quickly forgotten most of the works i saw at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art but spent an enchanted time at the Former Jewish School for Girls. Most of it because of the place itself. The decaying building designed by Alexander Beer in 1927 was closed by the Nazis in 1942 and re-opened during the Communist era. The showers are still there, the colours of the wallpapers have faded, the paint is peeling and the doors close with a bang.
I'll spare you the details and just mention that i fell head over heels for Natalie Djurberg's videos. Her animated vignettes depict a bitter-sweet world of handmade plasticine puppets, shot with the old-fashion stop-motion technique. Don't be fooled by the little girls singing and playing with daddy, by the cute tiger in the girl's bedroom or by the fat mama. The works speak about abuses, perverted sexual behaviours, and cruel impulses of human beings who just "can't help it."
You can also enjoy Djurberg's work at the Zach Feuer Gallery (LFL) in New York, until 27 May 2006. |
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I agree to the point that the Jewish School for Girls is the most impressive location of the Berlin Biennale. The works from Natalie Djurberg are surely remarkable, but for me the work of the Bulgarian artist Pravdoliub Ivanov "Territories" was the most remarkable.
"Ten flags of different length, hang side by side, each encrusted in thick mud so that their meaning is illegible. As well as offering a hopeful comment on the possibility of moving beyond divisive claims of national or ethinic identity, the installation also refers to the dangers of suppressing such identity, and not coming to terms with history. The layer of mud recalls the mass graves of the recent Balkan past, as well as offering a loaded comment on both the positive and negative aspects of obscuring history and identity. Today, the work may also be seen to play on fears of a different loss of national identity, that which the unification of the european continent is said to herald." Anne Kayser
I send you a picture vai mail, maybe you like to Post it.
Thanks a lot for your wonderfull and inspiring Site!
Michael
It is amazing what peple become immune to. For example watching an old lady being beaten to death on the news is common to people's eyes but when sex and violence is portrayed most people squint or object to it calling it crude and unethical. Well our world is depicting, wars are happening for no apparent reason, suffering is common. 'Well just because you are suffering doesn't make you Jesus'. Well at least Nathalie Djurberg is being honest.
I'm simply dying to see one of Djurbergs animations. Where can I enjoy her work?
-Sebastian
Oslo, Norway
found this on youtube recently:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8EPw8M2Zs2U